This electric plane takes just one hour to charge and can travel 160 kilometers for just $5

At 300 kilograms in weight, the Pipistrel Alpha Electro is an ultra-light electric aircraft. The plane can fly for one hour carrying up to two passengers and can cover almost 160 kilometers on an hour’s charge. Company representative Krzysztof Będkowski said he thinks we’ll be seeing more electric aircraft in commercial use within 15 years. Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories. If the notion of flying 160 kilometers on just over $5 sounds preposterous, say hello to the Pipistrel Alpha Electro. The world’s first serially produced ultra-light aircraft with an electric motor, the initial prototype of the Slovenia-manufactured aircraft was launched in 2016. Weighing 300 kilograms in total — including the 100kg 21-kilowatt-per-hour battery — the aircraft allows for an hour of flight, is able to carry two passengers, is capable of covering almost 160 kilometers, and can be charged in roughly an hour. What sets the $140,000 machine apart from other similar aircraft, however, is its 60-kilowatt electric engine. "The cost of electricity per hour of flight is roughly between $4 and $6," said Krzysztof Będkowski of Pipistrel Alpha Poland. Read more: Electric planes could be a reality ‘within 15 years’, according to former Air France CEO […]

Grant Brown is a passionate environmentalist, driven by a need to “leave it better than he found it”. This drive, combined with a capacity to understand power solutions of all types, helps him in his day job as VP Marketing at a start up clean technology company. His goal personally as well as professionally, is to help and inspire others to become a part of the green shift and to leave a positive legacy in the world.